Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma announced on Monday, February 9, 2026, a judicial inquiry into the fatal blast at an illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district that claimed 27 lives. The explosion occurred last week in the remote Thangsku area of Mynsngat village. Mr. Sangma stated in a post on X, "The Government has decided to constitute a Judicial Inquiry Commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act to investigate the recent tragic mining incident in Mynsngat - Thangsko area in East Jaintia Hills." The deadly blast triggered a large search and rescue operation involving the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, district administration, and local volunteers. The operation lasted several days and recovered all the bodies. A senior officer from the Home Department said, "the judicial inquiry would examine the circumstances leading to the incident, fix responsibility and recommend measures to prevent such tragedies in future." Rat-hole mining, the method used here, was banned by the National Green Tribunal in 2014 due to environmental harm. However, illegal coal mining still occurs across Meghalaya's districts. This inquiry aims to uncover the facts and help stop such disasters moving forward.